N01749:39
A treatise concerning conversion: showing the nature of saving conversion to God, and the…A treatise concerning conversion: shewing the nature of saving conversion to God, and the…
A treatise concerning conversion: showing the nature of saving conversion to God, and the way wherein it is wrought; together with an exhortation to labour after it. : To which is added, a lecture-sermon had at Boston, July 2. 1719. Wherein the way to know sincerity and hypocrisy is cleared up. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton.A treatise concerning conversion: shewing the nature of saving conversion to God, and the way wherein it is wrought; together with an exhortation to labour after it. : To which is added, a lecture-sermon had at Boston, July 2. 1719. Wherein the way to know sincerity and hypocrisy is cleared up. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton.
Boston: printed by J.F. i.e for D. Henchman, 1719
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
BY putting Grace into the heart God d••• destroy the power of Sin. Natural M•• are not able to mortify their own corruption• Whatever improvement they make of the•• natural abilities and outward opportunities they will fall short of mortifying their co• ruptions: They may do several things in ord•• to the mortifying their Sins, but they canno• effect it: They may restrain themselves much from the acts of Sin, but the lopping of th• tree don't kill the root: If they don't mak• provision for the flesh, yet they can't starve it▪ If they bewail their Sins, and cry out again•• them, and call themselves madmen, that wi•• not do. Pharaoh bewailed his Sin, Exod. 9.2• And Judas his, Mat. 27.3. Yet both of them were far from mortification. Yea, if they study the danger and evil of their Sins, that will not serve the turn. Such men may consider, that if their Sins don't die, their Soul• must die, according to that, Rom. 8.13. If y• live after the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through' th• Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live. They may think that Sin is dishonourable ⟨p. 26⟩and unprofitable; that there is ingratitude, injustice and impudence in it: If they consider such things a thousand times over, that will not mortify their corruptions; but it is God that doth it; and the way wherein he doth it, is by infusing a principle of Grace into the heart. The infusion of Grace and the mortification of corruption, are at the same instant. Mortification of corruption don't follow after the infusion of Grace, but is contemporary with it.